My brother, Ludwig Edelstein
by Dr. Doitsu
Summary: I suck at summaries, so just read the story and see for yourself. I'll be aiming to update weekly, though I might update a little later sometimes. Please R R?
1. Prolog

The sun set, leaving the two brothers alone in the darkness, separated by the heaped bodies of their soldiers. The majority of the deaths were on their side, that much was clear, but a number of French uniforms were visible beneath the devastating masses of fallen Holy Roman and Prussian corpses.

General Gilbert Beilschmidt, who just so happened to be the personification of the country that he had been fighting for, was searching for his younger brother. While he was unsure of their actual age difference, and there was a terrifying chance of Gilbert actually being younger than Holy Rome, Gilbert had aged quicker, meaning that he could lay claim to the title 'Große Bruder'.

He scanned the bloodstained field frantically, Scarlett eyes narrowed as he attempted to identify his [potentially] younger brother. The white-haired nation soon recognised a small child among the losses, his blond hair serving as the most prominent feature which aided Gilbert in locating him. Prussia sighed with relief. He had spotted him. He had found Ludwig Edelstein. He had found the Holy Roman Empire.

Gilbert ran to the blond, respectfully dodging the bodies of the men that had died fighting for their nation.

For him.

The albino picked up the unconscious child carefully, dry blood matting his white hair, causing it to cling to his sweating forehead. His face was covered in both blood and sweat, not all of it his own, and dusted with gunpowder and soil. However, underneath the grime was a relieved smile, glad that his brother was still alive, even if only just hanging on by a thread.  
Gilbert examined his brother carefully. Ludwig wasn't in a very good condition, but at least he was alive. There were cuts and bruises all over, a red, sticky pool of blood that seemed to originate at the back of his head and it looked as though his arm was broken.

The older German carried his younger brother back to the medical tents, situated on the outskirts of the battlefield. Upon reaching the tents, Gilbert laid the blond on the makeshift beds, instructing the nurses to focus all of their energy on fixing Ludwig.

The treatment was ongoing, last three days at least, although Gilbert wasn't sure. He was awoken on what he assumed to be the fourth day by coughing. Sitting up, he opened his mouth to yell at the person making the noise on the basis that it could wake his resting brother, only to grin when he saw that it was in fact Ludwig who had been coughing. Which meant that he was awake. Which meant that he was _alive_.

The holy roman opened his blue eyes, looking around the room before eventually resting his tired gaze on his brother.

Gilbert's smile fell, remembering that his stuck-up little brother didn't actually like him. At all. Sighing, he took his seat and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable shouts that he was sure would soon leave the child's mouth, probably to demand where he was and why.

The Prussian opened his eyes in shock and surprise when these shouts never came, and he observed the blonde warily. The child stared back unsurely, and Gilbert didn't break the eye contact, clearly unsure what to expect from the usually stern and admittedly spoilt nation laying injured before him.

Instead of the expected shouts, Ludwig turned to the closest nurse and pointed to Gilbert with a puzzled expression. "Wer ist er?" He asked her quietly, causing the Prussian in question to frown.

"What do you mean 'who's he' ?! I'm your BRUDER, Ludwig!" He yelled, red in the face. Ludwig blanched, his face going pale. "Enschuldigung! Es tut Mir wirklich lied! Es tut Mir lied!" He cried frantically, his bottom lip trembling. Gilbert paused. He was used to the shouting matches that often went on between him and his brother, they happened all of the time. So why was Ludwig acting so afraid? If didn't make any sense. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Gilbert began to think about what could be causing this odd turn of events, not noticing Ludwig shuffling away from him as a result.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you," he apologised, gritting his teeth and in no way enjoying admitting to being in the wrong. Ludwig nodded unsurely, still looking at his brother as though he were a stranger. Gilbert sighed. Had Ludwig really forgotten him? While the two had never had the best of relationships, there had still been numerous good times shared between them. Though of course that was before Germania had died, before Roderich had taken over Gilbert's roll as the small blond's older brother.

Roderich...

Surely if the child had lost all memory of Gilbert, then he would have forgotten Austria as well? Perhaps this 'amnesia' thing wasn't so bad after all.

Gilbert was interupt end from his thoughts by Ludwig poking his cheek. "E-excuse me..." was the blond's almost-silent request. "Y-you said that my name was Ludwig, d-do you know who I am?" He asked, large blue eyes boring into Gilbert's red ones. "U-und who're you?"

Prussia smirked at him. "I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, your awesome Große Bruder. Und you are Ludwig Ed-...Und you are Ludwig Beilschmidt." He stated, the smallest trace of nervousness barely detectable in his voice, not sure if Ludwig would believe him or not. To his great surprise, the tiny blond smiled brightly, reaching out his chubby arms and hugging Gilbert, resting his head on the Prussian's chest as he fell asleep.


	2. Kapitel Eins

Gilbert was awoken from his restless sleep by a particularly distressing dream. He would often push memories like these to the back of his mind, happy to deny their existence in order to preserve his 'awesomely' cheery demeanour.

Standing up, the ex-nation examined the alarm clock that sat on the bedside table. It read '02:37', causing the Prussian to frown. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.  
Stretching, Gilbert tilted his head to see to Gilbird still sleeping peacefully, the bird's tiny yellow chest rising and falling with each minuscule breath that it took. With a smile that came as a result of seeing Gilbird's cuteness, Prussia pulled on a t-shirt, heading upstairs and out of his basement room almost silently, not closing the door lest it's creaking wake his sleeping pet.

His feet carried him through the corridors until he reached his younger brother's room. Prussia pushed the door open and smiled. While Germany was an early riser, there was still no way that the blonde would be awake, not for another few hours at least. Gilbert sat down on the edge of the bed, smiling at the sight of Ludwig's peaceful state. Running a hand through Ludwig's soft blond hair, his smile fell slightly. When Ludwig's hair was down like this, it looked almost identical to how it had been when he was a child.  
To how it had been when he had been the Holy Roman Empire.  
To how it had been when he had been Ludwig Edelstein.

Edelstein. The name itself made Gilbert cringe. To think that his brother, his brother, had once shared a name with Austria.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the window creaking, and the white haired nation dove from his seat on the bed and ducked beneath it, grabbing a nearby lamp as means of protection. The window slid up, and Italy climbed through, a bright smile forming on his face when he saw Germany. Feliciano slipped beneath the warm covers and wrapped his arms around the German's broad chest, kissing his cheek tenderly, all of which came to the Prussian in hiding's great surprise. However, the thing that astonished Gilbert the most was what Feliciano said and how Ludwig reacted to it.

"I will always love you, Holy Rome."

"Ich liebe dich auch, Feli." Whispered the German in response.

"Since when..?" Urged the Italian, exited. Ludwig had never answered him before!

Ludwig rolled over so that his head was facing the Italian, emitting gentle snores, causing Feliciano to giggle. "It's ok Luddy, you'll remember soon." Laughed the Italian quietly, smiling down at Ludwig as he ran his fingers through the German's blonde hair.


End file.
